On Wednesday here, top-seeded Russian favorite Nikolay Davydenko will face Cuevas in the second round. Davydenko titled here in 2004, 2006 and 2007.

Last year's Moscow runner-up, Serbian Janko Tipsarevic, will take to the courts for his opening-round match on Wednesday, as the eighth seed will encounter Argentine Horacio Zeballos. Tipsarevic lost to Russian star Mikhail Youzhny in last year's finale here.

A second-seeded Youzhny will meet the aforementioned Istomin in a second-rounder here on Thursday.

Russians have won six straight and 11 of the last 13 titles in Moscow.